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Part II Individualized Education Program IEP and Collaboration
Go Home What Is an IEP? An IEP is more than just a written legal document (or “plan”). It’s a map that lays out the program of special education instruction, supports and services kids need to make progress and succeed in school. Each program is designed to meet a child’s exact needs. The term IEP is also used to refer to the written plan that spells out the specific types of help the child will get. Both the program and the plan are covered by special education law, or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Who Attends the IEP Meeting? You and the rest of your child’s IEP team attend every IEP meeting. The team includes: * You: Parents take an active role in all IEP meetings. * At least one of your child’s general education teachers (unless your child doesn’t work with general education teachers). * At least one special education teacher or other special education provider. * A school district representative knowledgeable about general education and special education. This representative has the power to commit school resources for your child. * A school psychologist or other specialist who can interpret your child’s first (or most recent) evaluation and test results. * Your child, starting when the IEP team begins to develop the transition plan for life after high school. This plan will be part of the IEP that goes into effect when your child turns 16. (Your child may attend meetings even earlier if you think it is appropriate. Early participation can help build self-advocacy skills.) A team member can be excused if both you and the school agree to it. Otherwise, the team should reschedule the meeting for a time when everyone can be present. You can invite someone who understands your child’s needs (such as a health-care provider) to attend the IEP meeting. You also can ask a friend or advocate. It can be helpful to have an extra set of eyes and ears in the room. Let the school know about any guests ahead of time. Anyone who can’t attend in person can participate by conference call or video chat. Be sure to tell the IEP team leader in advance if you or a guest will need a phone or video connection. = Types of IEP Assessments = ESME’S ANNA STEWART Know which tests to request for your child One of the hardest things about being a Solo Mom is that we have to quickly become an expert in a wide range of areas. That can be intimidating for any parent, but when it’s all on us, it adds to the stress of being a Solo Mom to a child with special needs. The individualized education program (IEP) is one of those areas. Between all the acronyms and the cumbersome, time-consuming process, getting your child what he or she needs can be overwhelming. Many of us ask the school to do evaluations and test our kids, but we often have no idea what tests to request. Knowing the available options can make this process a bit easier. Parents do not have to give permission for assessments that every student takes, such as kindergarten reading assessments. But when you enter the land of special education, parents must sign to give the school permission for assessments. The assessments or evaluations provide objective data to determine if a student is eligible to receive special-education services. But what are those assessments? States are given a lot of flexibility in deciding which evaluations/assessments to use. You want to ask that the assessment used is a research-based one. The type of assessments conducted must be related to the known or suspected area of disability; so, for example, a student with suspected hearing loss may have a hearing assessment. The school would likely not test the student’s IQ or behavior unless that was already seen as a potential issue. The majority of students who receive special-education services have some kind of learning disability. Determining a learning disability usually requires assessments along with other data, such as class work, teacher observation, and private diagnosis (though having private medical diagnosis of a disability does not equal an automatic IEP). Here are the top-five assessments in the top areas of testing: 1. Cognitive: Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISC-III) * Measures: A student’s ability. * Who conducts: School psychologist. * Data: It usually looks at three intelligence quotient (IQ) scores: verbal IQ, performance IQ, and full-scale IQ. The subtests within these areas often provide good information about a student’s strengths as well as his or her challenges. It also is often used to determine the amount of time a student may be in the general-education classroom or even school. 2. Academic achievement: Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery * Measures: Individual educational achievement. * Who conducts: Usually special-education teacher. * Data: Test includes mandatory sections and optional subtests. The scores are then combined into composite scores. The identified areas help the IEP team look at specific areas of need, which then help create meaningful IEP goals. 3. Behavior: Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) or Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale * Measures: Behavior and mental health, including how the student sees him- or herself as well as how parents and school staff see the student. * Who conducts: Parents, classroom teacher, special-education teacher, and sometimes the student. This test requires multiple people filling out a questionnaire to look for patterns and concerns. * Data: These evaluations do not offer a diagnoses but instead look at life skills, social skills, social concerns, and attention. It may help identify mental-health concerns and/or behavioral issues. 4. Functionality: School Function Assessment (SFA) * Measures: Student’s functionality in all areas of the school environment * Who conducts: Occupational therapist (OT) * Data: This test evaluates three areas: participation, task support, and activity performance. It is usually used for students in kindergarten through grade 6. It addresses not only classroom access but also playground, lunch, physical education, and other school areas. 5. Speech: Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Third Edition (CELF-3) * Measures: Tests verbal and written language, which may also include articulation, semantics, and pragmatic aspects of speech and language in both expressive and receptive communication. * Who conducts: Speech and language therapist (SLP) * Data: This test can direct the IEP team to develop goals and also accommodations such as books on tape or written (not verbal) instructions as well as for direct therapy with the SLP for both expressive and receptive language. Parents do not have the right to decide the exact test the school will conduct, but they must give written permission for the area of testing. Most states use the same basic assessments, which makes it easier to move to another district and/or another state. Politely request that the results of the assessments be given to you before your IEP meeting. Not a lot of districts do this, and the laws do not state a timeline. But when it’s possible, it sure makes the meeting more efficient for everyone. It is a challenge to navigate through the IEP process; give yourself time to learn the system. Your most important job in this is to be the expert on your child. Good luck! Recommendations to help Families gain a better understanding of IEP process https://www.spdstar.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/IEP%20PD%20for%20STAR.pdf How to Help Parents Navigate the IEP Process Posted on November 16, 2017 by Free Spirit Publishing By Andrew Hawk Having spent the last eleven years as a teacher, including eight as a special education teacher, I have been through the IEP process numerous times. Last month, I moved to the other side of the table as my three-year-old daughter completed the IEP process as a student with a language impairment. I have to say that even after spending almost my entire adult life working in public education, the IEP process was still stressful when it focused on my own child. It’s hard for me to imagine completing it with little to no working knowledge of special education. For that reason, teachers need to be ready to act as a parent’s guide if the need should arise. Here are some ideas to help parents navigate and better understand the IEP process that I hope you will try. What Information to Share * Special Education Terms. I promise that I have never met a teacher who used a lot of jargon on purpose. Often, teachers will explain several things and then ask a parent if he or she has any questions. Some parents may not be comfortable asking a lot of questions for fear of appearing uninformed. I usually start a conversation by saying, “If I explain anything you already know, please stop me.” Some common terms that parents will need to be informed of include least restrictive environment (LRE), independent education plan (IEP), progress monitoring, case conference, present levels of performance, extended school year (ESY), due process, teacher of record (TOR), and teacher of service (TOS). Even if certain terms do not specifically apply to a student, the terms may still appear in the IEP and will still need to be explained. * Case Conference. These important meetings sometimes go by different names. I have heard them called case conferences, IEP meetings, and annual case reviews. Parents need to know that they occur annually, what will be discussed at them, and that the parents’ attendance is very important. In addition, parents should be informed that they have the right to call a case conference at any time if they have concerns. * Response to Intervention. Some schools have adopted euphemisms to use in place of the Response to Intervention Committee. My school calls this the Problem-Solving Committee. Students who are struggling behaviorally or academically are referred to this committee. Anyone can make a referral, even a babysitter or family friend. The committee usually consists of the classroom teacher, an administrator or a counselor, the special education teacher, and the parent. The committee puts research-based interventions in place to help the student be successful. The student’s progress is monitored over a period of time—how much time is up to the committee. If the student does not make adequate progress, the committee may decide to request the student be evaluated by the school psychologist for special education services. * Evaluation. Parents of students that are being newly evaluated for special education services are often the most anxious. The process is brand new to these parents, and it is difficult for some of them to see it as a positive thing for their child. I have found that parents are more receptive if they understand that they have a lot of say in the process. I explain what evaluations will be completed and tell the parent that, if the student is found eligible for special education services, we will discuss the services in detail. I finish by telling the parent that he or she has the right to refuse the services at the end of the process. * Medical Diagnosis. This is an area that gets really fuzzy. Schools regularly identify students who have exceptionalities such as a specific learning disability, mild cognitive disability, and speech or language impairment, which do not require a medical diagnosis. Exceptionalities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) are all examples of exceptionalities that do require a medical diagnosis. If a parent seeks a medical diagnosis from a medical professional, the school will likely play a role in that process by filling out informational surveys about the student. However, the diagnosis will be left to the medical professional. What muddies the water even further is that schools can offer special education services without a formal medical diagnosis if a student is evaluated and found to be eligible for special education services. Many times, students who show signs of a particular exceptionality but who are without a formal diagnosis will be identified as special education students with an other health impairment (OHI). * Duration of Services. When my students are transferring from elementary school to middle school, parents often ask if the special education plans will remain in place. Parents should be informed that the services can stay in place all the way to college if necessary. In addition, tell parents that if they change schools, the new school will have to offer services as well (although the new school may want to make some changes to the IEP). * Requesting an Evaluation. Parents of struggling students are often unaware that they can request a special education evaluation at any time and forgo the RTI process. The school may deny the request if they have just cause. But in the schools where I have worked, these requests were never denied if the student was struggling and the classroom teacher agreed with the parent about the request. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR IEP/ HOW THEY AFFECT CURRICULAR DESIGN The Role of Curriculum in Early Childhood Special EducationCurriculum and the IEPChelie Nelson, Ph.D., CCC-SLPDavid P. Lindeman, Ph.D.University of Kansas Center on Developmental DisabilitiesKansas Inservice Training System2601 Gabriel, Parsons, Kansas 67357620-421-6550 ext. 1618http://kskits.org Wha t is Ac ce s s t o the Gene ra l Ed uc at i o n Cur ri c ul um?The IDEA Amendments of 1997 first introduced the concept that students with disabilities are entitled to access, participation and progress within the general education curriculum. IDEA 2004 continued to focus attention on the general education curriculum for all children. One might ask, what does this mean and how can we achieve this for young children with disabilities? In the early childhood years, the general education curriculum has been defined as natural environments (Part C) and appropriate activities (Part B). Examples would include family routines, social activities, early literacy and math activities, sharing-time, independent play, and listening skills. In essence, the general curriculum for young children includes the activities that children of that chronological age engage in as part of their daily routines, preschool programs, and/or informal activities.IDEA includes several requirements in the development of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) that help explain how educators can ensure that young children are involved in, and make progress in, the general curriculum: 1) IEP goals must be related to involvement and/or progress in the general curriculum; 2) the IEP must specify appropriate supplementary aids and services, accommodations, modifications, or supports needed by the child to have access to, be involved in, or make progress in the general curriculum; 3) the IEP must indicate the manner in which progress toward IEP goals will be measured; and, 4) the IEP must include an explanation if the student will not be provided services in a regular education setting. The 1997 Amendments concerning access, participation, and progress in the general curriculum have raised expectations for young children with disabilities. Karger and Hitchcock (2003, pg 11) state “access to the general curriculum far exceeds the earlier notion of access to special education services and physical access to the school building, and goes beyond the concepts of mainstreaming and inclusion. At the same time, access by itself does not denote any standardsor benchmarks; it represents a first step. Involvement in and progress in the general curriculum help explain how access is to be achieved, and in many instances the IEP is the conduit for ensuring access”.Karger, J., & Hitchcock, C. (2003). Access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities: A brief legal interpretation. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved March 9, 2007, from http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_accesslegal.htmlKansas Inservice Training System, kskits.org Using Curriculum to Create Meaningful and Measurable Early Childhood Outcomes/GoalsThe 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) continues to focus our attention on the general education curriculum for all children. For young children, the general education curriculum has been defined as natural environments (Part C) and appropriate activities (Part B). Examples of such activities would include family routines, social activities, early literacy and math activities, sharing-time, independent play, and listening skills. Measurable annual outcomes/goals set the direction for instruction in special education, however they are not the general curriculum. While outcomes/goals help families and teachers gauge progress and assure that a steady flow of communication takes place, they are too narrowly focused to be considered curriculum. Rather, the IFSP/IEP describes how a child’s disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum, links assessment to curriculum, and describes the degree of match between the child’s performance and the expectations of general curriculum standards.The following information outlines steps early childhood professionals can use to select goals/outcomes that support children’s progress and participation in the general curriculum. They were originally presented as part of the KITS technical assistance packet Creating Meaningful and Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives. Further information on IFSP/IEP development can be found in the following KITS TA packets (http://kskits.org/ta/Packets/Tech_AssPacketList.shtml) Creating Meaningful and Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives Writing Family-Guided IFSP OutcomesPresent Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) DevelopmentThe statement of a child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) is the cornerstone of the individual education plan (IEP) and an integral part of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). The PLAAFP links IFSP/IEP components to the outcomes/goals selected. The purpose of the PLAAFP is to identify the child’s needs and establish a baseline of the child’s performance in appropriate activities. The PLAAFP is then used to develop meaningful and measurable outcomes/goals. The PLAAFP statement is a narrative. It should be brief, understandable and accurately describe a child’s performance in all areas of education affected by their disability. The PLAAFP serves as a bridge between the evaluation process and the measurable annual outcomes/goals. The PLAAFP should: · be stated in terms that are specific, measurable, and objective · describe current performance, not past performance · describe the effect of the disability on the child’s progress in appropriate activities · prioritize and identify needs that will be written as outcomes/goals · identify strengths as they relate to possible interventions · provide baseline data for each need Therefore, the PLAAFP spells out how a child’s delay affects his/her ability to participate in activities such as singing songs, painting and coloring pictures, working in groups, making and playing with friends, etc. By identifying how a child’s delay affects their ability to progress in appropriate activities, the team can identify and prioritize needs from which outcomes/goals can then be created. For example, if Suzie’s delay in expressive language is keeping her from making friends (Suzie is unable to verbally initiate, respond to and, maintain social interactions) this need may be identified as a priority. Describing child performance Early childhood professionals may find it difficult to describe a child’s performance in appropriate activities because they have not collected enough information during the evaluation process. Many teams spend large amounts of time assessing children using published norm-referenced instruments. Kansas Inservice Training System, kskits.org These instruments assess child performance within developmental domains (e.g., cognitive, social/ emotional, self-help, motor, and communication) and describe that performance relative to peers of the same age. They help to answer the question “Is there a delay in the child’s development?” While, this is important information and may help establish eligibility; it is only one part of the evaluation process. The second question to be answered is, “If a delay exists, how is that delay affecting the child’s ability to participate and progress in appropriate activities?” This question should be answered through other methods. To assess how a delay affects a child’s ability to participate in appropriate activities, the team must use methods that assess the child within those activities. The team can use a variety of formal and informal measures, such as published curriculum-based assessments or criterion-referenced tests, structured observations, rating scales, rubrics, portfolio assessments, work sample analysis, language samples, and checklists. Information collected using such methods will provide good baseline data to be used in the PLAAFP. Example PLAAFPs 1. Katie is an outgoing 4-year old girl who has motor delays. She is above average intellectually and is very verbal. Katie has many friends at home and at school, and is described by her teachers as very motivated to learn new things. Katie enjoys preschool and spends time in all of the learning centers. During classroom activities, Katie is able to hold crayons, markers and other writing utensils in her fist, and makes scribbles on paper. She paints using down strokes only with a paintbrush, as noted in structured observations and work sample analysis. Typically, children of the same age hold writing utensils between their thumb and forefingers and can copy lines, circles and simple figures. They are able to make up and down strokes as well as circular patterns with a paintbrush. Katie’s fine motor abilities keep her from being able to create representational artwork like that of other children her same age. 2. Sally enjoys listening to stories individually, with an adult, and is able to maintain her attention from beginning to end of a story. Structured observations conducted during large-group activities (lasting 15 minutes or more) indicate that Sally is able to maintain her attention to the speaker of the group for 2 minutes without physical or verbal support from staff. After the 2-minute time frame, staff must physically redirect Sally back to circle time as Sally frequently tries to leave the group to play with other toys in the classroom. Typically, children of the same age will attend to a group activity for approximately 10 minutes with minimal verbal redirection. Sally’s attention span interferes with her ability to gain new information from group activities such as story-time. 3. Joe has many friends, and enjoys participating in group activities. Joe is easy to work with, maintains good eye contact, and follows directions well. During playtime activities, Joe is unable to communicate his wants and needs easily. Joe exhibits the following phonemes substitutions: t/f, d/g, w/l, d/v, w/r, t/ch, t/th, t/sh, d/z, tls, and vowelization of the “r” controlled vowels as measured by the Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale (AAPS). Joe has difficulty describing things and events to his peers and adults when those items or events are not immediately present. In these situations Joe is unable to use his strong non-verbal communication to help others understand him. Measurable Annual Outcomes/GoalsWell-written outcomes/goals are meaningful as well as measurable. Meaningful and measurable outcomes/goals can be easily monitored, and therefore are useful for making educational decisions. An outcome/goal is meaningful when it describes a behavior/skill that will have a real impact on the success of a child in current as well as future environments. Therefore, the team should select outcomes/goals that are not likely to develop without intervention. Outcomes/goals are meaningful when they enhance and address multiple areas in the child’s life, match the child’s developmental level, and are based on the progress a child can reasonably be expected to achieve. A good way to determine if a goal is meaningful is to apply the “so what” test. In this test, the team asks, “What will the ability to execute the goal do for the child?” The following is an example of the “so what” test: SEE Kansas Inservice Training System, kskits.org TYPES OF SERVICE MODEL Co-Teaching Models That Work 1. Parallel Teaching: Parallel teaching refers to two teachers teaching the same content simultaneously in one classroom. The purpose of this model is to lower the student to teacher ratio while delivering the same content. (Co-teaching Connection, n.d.) This model of teaching can be beneficial to identify student need, and allow students a smaller setting to help create a higher comfort level among peers. Physical space can be a barrier in this type of setting, because sometimes having two people speaking at the same time can be distracting. A suggestion to alleviate this problem would be to teach the same content, but time the lesson so that the groups are on different schedules. For example, if one teacher is delivering content, the other teacher will have students work independently, and then switch. 2. Station Teaching: Station teaching is when teachers split the content into different stations around the classroom. Each teacher becomes an expert in one piece of the content, and runs a station. Throughout the course of the lesson, the students rotate throughout the stations in order to receive all content they need. This model takes strong classroom management, for students are moving freely around the classroom while both teachers are working with small groups. One way to use this model effectively would be to create several stations that the students can work on independently to lower group sizes for the stations that the students will work with a teacher. (Co-teaching connection, n.d.) 3. Alternative Teaching: Alternative teaching refers to when one teacher works with the majority of students in a full class setting, and the second teacher pulls a small group of students out of the classroom (or to an area of the classroom) to work together in a small group. In the small group, the second teacher can either teach the same content, while providing extra support to students who need it, or address individual student needs and academic gaps in content. (Co-teaching connection, n.d.) Something to keep in mind is that it is important that the students don’t feel singled out, and that they don’t feel like working with one teacher over another “labels them”. My co-teacher and I strategically switch groups and take turns working with smaller groups so that our students never feel that working in a small group has a certain stigma to it. 4. One teaches, One Assists: This model works when content needs to be delivered to the class as a whole. As one teacher teaches the lesson, the other teacher walks around the room answering student questions, keeping students on task and helping individual students when needed. (Co-teaching connection, n.d.) A simple suggestion for this type of classroom would be to provide students with a sticky note at the start of class to write questions on while the lesson is going on. As the second teacher walks around, he or she can easily answer questions without interrupting the lesson. How can we improve inclusion classrooms? If inclusion classrooms are not run efficiently, or teachers are not well trained in providing support for students with special learning needs, these classrooms can become a place for behavior problems that can be obtrusive to learning. Although inclusion classes that have proper supports in place have been shown to be beneficial to learning, there is not enough research to show the long term benefits of having inclusion classrooms. (Special Education Inclusion, n.d.) In order to provide all children with the education that they deserve, more research on inclusion in education is necessary. Not only do we need more research, but teachers need more training in providing support for students with different learning styles and individual learning needs. In particular, now that technology has more relevance in our classrooms, teachers needs more training and research on the benefits of using technology to provide individualized support in inclusion settings.